UNO Graduate Receives Prestigious Phi Kappa Phi Sherrill Carlson Fellowship

Spaulding earned her bachelor's degree in art history from UNO and will begin pursuing a Ph.D. in art history at the University of Illinois Chicago this fall. The Sherrill Carlson Fellowship, named for former Washington State University chapter president and longtime Phi Kappa Phi supporter Sherrill Carlson, is one of the nation's most competitive graduate fellowships. The award provides $35,000 to support graduate study and recognizes exceptional academic achievement, leadership, service, and potential for future scholarly contributions.

During her time at UNO, Spaulding distinguished herself as a scholar, researcher, curator, and campus leader. She graduated with a 3.89 GPA, earned recognition as UNO's Outstanding Art History Undergraduate, and completed her undergraduate thesis and research under Dr. Adrian Duran in the College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media (CFAM). She presented her research at multiple regional and national conferences, as well as internationally at the International Network for Health Workforce Education. Spaulding also served as assistant curator for Experiences in Femininity, a juried exhibition highlighting women artists and writers. She curated the annual Goodrich Art Exhibition and worked in the University of Nebraska Medical Center's McGoogan Health Sciences Library Special Collections and Archives, contributing to archival preservation and oral history initiatives.

Spaulding’s academic interests focus on the intersection of art history, medicine, memory, and caregiving. Inspired by personal experiences caring for her grandmother during Alzheimer's disease and by research opportunities at UNO, Spaulding's scholarship explores how art represents the human experience of illness and care. At UIC, her research interests will focus on early modern medical illustration in art history.

Fellowship recipients are selected based on graduate potential, academic achievement, leadership, service, letters of recommendation, personal statements, and admission to an approved graduate or professional program. Since 1932, Phi Kappa Phi's Fellowship Program has supported outstanding students pursuing graduate education. This year, the Society awarded two $35,000 named fellowships, six $15,000 fellowships, and 40 fellowships of $8,500.